Helpless
by Carly the Llama
Summary: Also known as Eli internally screaming for hours. This is the Heroes' Day Charity Ball from the POV of Eli. One-shot from the Worldbender series.


Eli sat in his stark white room, buttoning up the black shirt. He hated this outfit, that almost had the bad boy stereotype written all over it. But Douglas had said it was this or naked, so he chose this. He ran a hand along the marks on his arm, then went to fidget with his amulet, only to remember he didn't have it anymore.

Hana came in, wearing a tight red dress with lacy details. She was clearly as miserable as he was.

"Ready?" Eli shook, wanting to cry.

"I don't want to do this…" She held his hand and gave it a light squeeze,

"It's okay…besides, there is a chance you'll meet others your age. You need friends, Eli. Maybe they can save us." Eli nodded, still shaking and trying to hide a panic attack. Last time he had been at a party, it was in high school—meaning he was ten—got drunk on a dare, and then there was a whole thing involving stolen antique photos being the one thing you can't replace.

He got to the front door and then felt Douglas' hand on his shoulder, not comfortingly.

"Listen up, little freak." Eli flinched, "Any funny business, anyone suspecting, any mischief, and I promise you that you will regret it. Get the information and get close to the Agreste family, namely the son."

"Yes sir…"

The ride was long and awkward, then Eli buttoned up his shirt a little more, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Are you sure we should—" Douglas punched him in the gut,

"Don't speak unless you're spoken to!"

"Douglas, he was just asking!" Hana insisted, sending her captor a dirty look. Eli was new to the game, Hana wasn't as she'd been his prisoner most of her life at this point. That and he seemed to have the perverted hots for her.

"He needs to learn manners, Hana." Douglas replied, "I have an 'image' to uphold, and I'm not having this little pathetic excuse for a superhero ruin that." He glared, "Don't cry. I won't deny you have the looks, and crying will just ruin that. So suck it up and let your looks do the talking."

Entering the mansion, Eli immediately slipped into a corner, grabbing a drink. Since his father had been a drug addict, he was cautious of this kind of thing, but he had drank a little bit over the years, and he _really_ needed one right now, and he knew as well as the next guy that the punch was spiked.

Adrien Agreste came down the stairs with his date—a pretty blunette in a ladybug-themed dress. He smirked at her and she looked startled, before starting to dance.

And then the most stunning girl in the world came down the stairs.

He gaped at the gorgeous girl. Was she Gabriel's ward? He'd been told about Adrien, the boy he was supposed to befriend, but he didn't know anything about the girl other than her existence and the fact she was a beauty.

Those men who told him she was beautiful clearly hadn't seen her. Beautiful was the understatement of the century. Stunning. Gorgeous.

No, he wasn't looking at her body, or her face. He was looking at her eyes, full of pain and loss, but also joy and love, a stunning painting. If he was paying attention to her looks, he would still think the same, but he cared about what he could see in her eyes.

He tried to catch her eye. Maybe she would talk to him. Then he realized, he didn't even know her name! Let alone he had no idea how to talk to girls!

"Eli?" Hana came over, "You're turning red. You okay?"

"W-Wh-Wh-o i-i-is s-she….?" He eventually got out. Hana looked over,

"Zoe Carpenter? Or Agreste, hard to tell which these days. She's Gabriel's ward. This is her 15th birthday celebration as well."

"She's like an angel…" he sighed dreamily, seeing her talk to her guardian. Hana smirked,

"Go talk to her. Adrien's clearly busy, and Doug wants you to get close. Through the sister is a good way to do that. Besides, maybe you can get her number." Eli froze like a deer caught in the headlights,

"I can't do that!"

"Why?"

"I don't know how to talk to girls!" Hana frowned,

"How many girls have you been around?"

"Those women I helped give birth—but there isn't really any talking involved and more orders and screaming—my teachers, Pixie Girl, and you."

"Okay…" Hana frowned, "I know it sounds cheesy, but be yourself. And remember, the way to a woman's heart is through food."

"That's a terrible idea! Not the food thing, but being myself is the worst idea ever! I'm an idiot!"

"Then be Mockingjay." She replied, "She doesn't know who you are, just do what Mockingjay would do. And Eli, you need to work on your self-esteem. You are a literal genius."

"But I am Mockingjay, so that involves stuttering like an idiot and scaring her away!"

"Then just ignore what she looks like and…act confident. You've had to put up masks before and you did acting as one of your jobs. Just pretend you are playing the role of a confident young man who isn't afraid to talk to a girl." He was still frozen and she huffed,

"Fuck it."

Hana slipped into the shadows. He forget that she was a Shadow Charmer—a child who lived in shadow for so long that the shadows accepted them as one of their own, Eli was also a Shadow Charmer now that he thought about it—so Eli was the only one who could see her as she went and tripped Zoe in the dark.

Eli's eyes widened, his superhero instincts kicking in, as he too blended with the shadow—the only power he had outside of costume due to the runes, because he had been given it, not born with it—and jumped out the the shadows to grab Zoe's hand before she hit the ground.

"Woah there. I'd say I saved you from falling from heaven, but something tells me you don't think this is heaven." God, why did he say that? Remember…confident! Maybe he could melt into the shadow—No! You're going to do this, Eli!

Zoe looked him up and down and Eli thanked the darkness of the section of the room that she didn't notice the blush he felt on his cheeks. God, it felt like her eyes were seeing right through him.

"And I'll tell you in response that I scraped my knees when crawling up from hell, and it was not worth it if I got stuck at this party. Charity my ass." She sounded American… and she hated this… he grinned, trying to look confident.

"Thank god. I was worried I was the only one hating this."

"Then what're you doing here?"

Now, how should he answer? He could tell her… but that could end really badly… he tried to remember the story Douglas had told him to use. Well, he could incorporate the truth, remain confident, and hide suspicion,

"Uncle uses me like some toy. I know I'm beautiful, but I also want to be left the fuck alone." Was that a mistake? She seemed pleased by the answer, before narrowing her eyes.

"Who are you?" Shit! He hadn't introduced himself!

"Oh. I'm Eli Sommers. And I take it you're Zoe Carpenter." She nodded and they walked onto the balcony, even though Eli could feel Hana still watching. Zoe was also looking at him, and he looked away to hide his blush. Confident! Not a stuttering, blushing anime schoolgirl.

"Well Eli, why'd you come look for me?" _Because something is screaming at me that I love you even though I just looked at you and I know it seems weird but I think you're the woman I want to marry—shut up brain!_

Instead of that weirdness, he shrugged, "I didn't. I just saw a damsel in distress and couldn't help but save the lady before I book it to save myself." He sat on the railing. Punishment be damned, be needed to get out of here before he did something he would regret, "I'm going anyway, but do you want to come with?" God why did he say that?! He was trying to _avoid_ the love at first sight feeling.

Hana smirked from the shadows, "I'll leave you to it."

Zoe nodded, and the duo jumped down into the bushes.

"Now, the party ends at sunrise," Zoe said, looking at her phone, "so we don't have much of a time limit." Okay…time to try making a move…

"No need for midnight, Princess?" Zoe jerked up to look at him and he was suddenly terrified he had made a mistake. Fuck, he had no idea how to talk to girls.

"What did you just call me?"

"Princess. What? You look like one, and I'm told you're demanding like one." He was actually hiding his hand in the shadows so he could look at his phone for things about her to hide how painfully clueless he was.

He would later learn that Zoe loved him for being himself, but Eli was easily one of the most insecure people alive without Douglas' abuse as well, so if future Eli came and told past Eli that he would be married to this girl and the father of her children, he would die of an aneurysm.

"So what are we to do?" He asked, trying to distract himself from the stunning girl next to him in that form-fitting dress, "I've never been to Paris, or else I'd be taking you places."

"What?" She raised an eyebrow, "You're not going to fall to your knees at my beauty like all the others?"

"While I'll admit you're a beauty, I am my own man. I am nobody's servant." LIE! THE BIGGEST FUCKING LIE IN THE HISTORY OF LIES! He felt like a fucking tool and wanted to die in a hole.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen." Well, he was gonna be sixteen in four months. April 17th was his birthday.

"Okay then, Eli. Let's go to the Eiffel Tower. The lights will be turning on in an hour." She grabbed his hand and led him along until they heard a feminine voice. Eli turned and saw a pink haired woman with a large camera. He almost yelped when Zoe pulled him into the dark alleyway, now pressed against his chest.

What does one do in this situation? He'd ask.

"What?"

"Shut up or we'll get found out." She ordered in a firm but quiet voice. Was that woman with the camera all that bad? Oh. She must be a reporter—the bane of superheroes and celebrities. Dude, he also got his identity revealed once because a reporter had tackled him and knocked him unconscious so she could learn his identity and tell the world. That was when Pixie Girl and the Sorcerer found out his identity, when they saved him. After that, he started getting anonymous gifts of money and various fruits and vegetables he wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise.

He did wonder what had become of his friends, his two friends in a sea of bullies and the occasional positive acquaintance or coworker. But he kind of had bigger fish to fry, being used like a slave and currently having a gorgeous girl pressed against his chest.

"Make me." HAD JAAY RUBBED OFF ON HIM MORE THAN HE THOUGHT?! She glared at him and he tried to keep trying to be confident by chuckling, "Feisty as they say, aren't you." He looked around the corner to see if the reporter was gone. She wasn't, and was looking around with her camera man.

"Where'd she go? This is a huge scoop! We can't lose them." Eli looked between Zoe and the reporter. Time to impress this girl. He threw a rock to make the reporter and camera man turn away, then he snatched the memory card before hiding again, his Shadow Charmer ability making both him and Zoe invisible.

It had worked. Zoe looked impressed, "How did you…?"

"Isn't this what you were worried about?" he twirled it between his fingers before pocketing it to pawn away for cash later, "Well, we don't have to worry even if they do catch us. Now let's go to the Eiffel Tower."

"Don't forget I'm your guide." Zoe snapped playfully, "I lead."

"Whatever you say, Princess." He wasn't sure if he made that sound as sarcastic as he wanted it to, even though he meant that with all of his heart.

They looked around at the stars and the fireworks, having to stop every now and then when Zoe kept tripping on her heels. She was apparently a klutz in heels, so maybe that was why she didn't suspect Hana having tripped her.

They stopped at a shoe store, and she traded the heels for some cheap flats.

The two continued to chat for a bit until they made it to the Eiffel Tower. It was much better in person than in pictures.

"Wow. It's more beautiful than I imagined."

"Like you?" He froze at her words, noticing the joking tone. Maybe she saw him as attractive? Douglas had said he had the looks… possibly…

"Exactly." Conceal, don't feel. He turned to look at her once his heart rate was back under control, "You look hungry. No, I am not psychic, I can see you wistfully looking at that pizza stand over there." Zoe brushed a strand of hair back,

"Yeah. I haven't eaten in close to twenty-six hours." That was unacceptable. Well… Hana had said the best way to a woman's heart was food. Perfect!

He dragged her over to the pizza stand, "Two…" what did she like? But if he asked, it might sound like a question someone would ask their date, "cheese pizzas." Best to play it safe.

"Of course. Name?" Eli paused, realizing he had no money.

Zoe was prepared, "Claudia Mitchells."

"Okay. Your order will be out shortly."

Eli and Zoe sat down by the water of the Seine while they waited. He turned to her curiously,

"Claudia?"

"My alias." She responded, "My mom was kind of abusive," but there was a darkness in her eyes that told him it was more than 'kind of', but he decided not to push it, "and would literally spike our food to make us think we were allergic to stuff she didn't like. I figured it out pretty early on and began buying food myself under the name Claudia Mitchells. That way I could get food for my sister and I when I said I was throwing away the mistaken order, when I was stuffing it in my backpack and running inside through the garage." Damn. What the hell was wrong with that mother?!

"Sounds like you had it rough," he wanted to tell her that he understood, having had to steal food at times like Aladdin, but that contradicted the story Douglas had him using, "And I noticed the use of past tense. Is that why you're Gabriel's ward?"

"Yeah." She played with a strand of hair, "He doesn't like me too much though. But I think he's a dick, so I don't mind."

"Claudia Mitchells?" The pizza man called, and Eli hopped up to grab the food, paying for it with some euros courtesy of Zoe.

"Enjoy." Zoe gratefully took the pizza and started digging in. And he knew not to interrupt her eating. So they just ate and Eli appreciated the first good food he had had in nearly a month. He did enjoy the fresh air rather than stuffy mansions or isolated rooms surrounded by guards.

Zoe finished her pizza and grinned, "Thanks, Eli. I don't think I would have survived that party any longer." That was relatable.

"Don't think I would have either." He stood up, holding his hand out to help her up, "Come on, the night's still young, and you insisted on showing me Paris." Zoe smirked. Okay, maybe she would be okay with his dork side as long as he remained confident. He didn't see her as a model—though there was no denying she was worthy of being one—he saw her as a person. Celebrities were just people who were good at something, but because they expressed their talent, they were attacked by the press and the paparazzi who was in love with them for their looks and status, while convincing themselves that they loved the real person.

But for Zoe, he wanted to put an effort into knowing this girl for who she was as a person. He knew taking her away from the party and getting no info on Hawk Moth would cost him greatly, but something about being with her felt right, and no amount of pain would change that. So as long as he had this night, he could deal with what Douglas threw at him.

"Horseshit! I did not!" She laughed as he helped her up, "I said I'd take you to the Eiffel Tower."

"You also said we had until sunrise, we have until roughly eight for that. Eight hours of keeping away from snobby old rich guys."

"Alright Eli. Notre Dame?" He flushed, feeling insecure again.

"Could you take me to the school?" He asked meekly, "I'll be staying for awhile and I'd rather not do homeschooling. My uncle's making me do Running Start," not really, because he was already a college graduate, but that was the story in case he got punished for days on end, "so I'd only be there partial time…but…"

They walked and Zoe looked up at him with a worried look, "Running start? Staying awhile? Uh oh. You've got baggage too." He nodded, but knew he had to stick to the story,

"My father is my uncle's younger brother; you know, the stereotypical younger less successful brother." Actually his father was a genius, and had made billions before spiraling into depressing and addictions, "My mother died of cancer when I was young, and my father got addicted to heroin. Oh, and I'm from New York."

Zoe winced, "Damn. I'm sorry for you."

"Don't be. You weren't involved." Yet he knew her eyes from somewhere, it was just on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out where he had seen her eyes before, "Besides, Hakuna Matata, no worries." _I'm not dying inside, hehehehe._

Zoe took a step back, "Did you just make a _Lion King_ reference?" Shit. Did he make a mistake?

"Y-Yeah…" he tried to hide the stutter and hoped she didn't notice it, "So?"

"I'm just surprised." She replied, "Didn't think you'd be into stuff like that." That sparked hope, and he felt himself become genuinely confident,

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Princess. After all, we only met what—three hours ago?"

"True enough."

They walked in silence for a little bit before they saw the school.

"Here's the school." She said, gesturing to the large building, "It's closed right now, but we could probably sneak in if you want to."

"Nah." He chuckled, "Why in the name of sanity would I break into a _school_. School sucks! And from what I hear, it's the prime place for a terror attack around here."

"And school isn't the prime place for a shooting in the US?" Eli almost shrieked at the memory of having to stop a shooter in his own school once. He had been nine years old. But he managed to keep his chill and nodded,

"True enough. Where shall we go next?" Zoe checked her phone, revealing a knife strapped to her thigh, "US girl indeed."

"Through and through." She stood up, checking her texts, "But we seem to be getting cut short, as I got a text from Adrien that I should get back before Gabriel realizes I'm not in the bathroom. Turns out people got bored and are starting to leave and might be starting to miss us. That was ten minutes ago, and Adrien said we probably have twenty more before anyone gets worried."

"So we go back to the mansion?" he groaned, knowing he was _so_ screwed when he got back, "Damn, I was having fun just talking with a singular girl."

"And I one guy."

They snuck back into the garden of the mansion, right below Zoe's window. Eli decided to try making a move and took Zoe's hand.

"The birthday girl requires a dance, doesn't she?" Her eyes widened before she smirked and nodded. He pulled out his phone and turned on some music, before starting a slow dance with her.

This was how he wanted to spend his life, with her. With her, he felt like his troubles melted away. He hadn't believed in Love at First Sight before this, but he knew it was really a thing.

The song ended after four minutes that he was desperate to have be longer, but he wasn't going to keep her from bed. She stared to climb the rope she just had by her window—because apparently she snuck out a lot.

"I had fun with you tonight, Princess." Zoe turned, smiling,

"And I you." Eli beamed and walked away.

In the week that followed, he was punished brutally, and Hana had to care for him when he was sick for days, or when he tried to kill himself. He wanted out. That night was the only good thing, the thing he thought about when the suicidal thoughts got strong again.

So when he found her again, bleeding and dying, he swore revenge on Hawk Moth. She was his only light. He wasn't going to let any harm come to her.

Even after they were married, he remembered that night, and there were days that the memory was one of the only things keeping him going.

The boy who had been Helpless for the girl. He would never forget.


End file.
